On September 2, TAMAKI Denny, governor of Okinawa Prefecture of Japan, completed its application for the status as a NEAR Observer.
Obtaining NEAR Observer membership does not require a vote at the NEAR General Assembly or the High-Level Working Committee. It only requires the head of a regional government to officially express their intention and submit the relevant documents to the NEAR Secretariat. With Okinawa added, there are now five Observers: three regions from Japan (the Prefectures of Miyagi, Yamaguchi, and Okinawa), one region from China (Tianjin City), and one region from Russia (Novosibirsk).
Since the beginning of the year, Okinawa has shown an active engagement in NEAR events, having participated in the NEAR Members Workshop and the NEAR Subcommittee on Energy Cooperation. They also expressed their intention to attend the upcoming Subcommittee on Innovation+ too. When the NEAR Secretary-General visited Okinawa Prefecture on August 23, Mr. Tamaki stated that Okinawa will swiftly work on obtaining regular membership after joining as an Observer.
Located at the western end of the Japanese archipelago, Okinawa Prefecture has a population of 1.46 million (as of 2022) and covers an area of 2,282.15㎢. The prefecture consists of approximately 160 islands spread across a vast oceanic region, and it has developed a unique culture through trade and exchanges with China as well as countries of Southeast Asia.